The Ceremonies

The Ceremonies' Michael, Matthew and Mark Cook in front of Mark Handforth's Desert Sun at MOCA

 

THE CEREMONIES

At The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)

250 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles (Downtown) 213-626-6222

"One time I had a friend come to our house, and, at one point, she started laughing. When I asked her why, she said, 'It's so funny that there is always somebody singing in your house. I've never experienced anything like that.' We never really put together the fact that we were always singing. It was something that was just natural and organic for us," remembers Matthew Cook. "That's when I actually realized that one of us was always singing around the house."

Matthew is the musical architect and lyricist of the Ceremonies, a band that includes his two younger siblings, fraternal twins Mark and Michael. From a young age, their lives have been filled with art of all kinds – music, film, literature, painting – so it didn't come as a huge surprise when the trio selected the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) as the location for us to discuss growing up in the San Fernando Valley, their debut self-titled EP that released in October and art, of course.

The native Angelenos would often come to MOCA for high school field trips and continued to visit the museum as their love for visual arts intensified and Matthew and Michael enrolled at USC's School of Fine Arts. Although Mark chose to major in business administration, he is equally enamored with the arts.

Mark, Matthew and Michael in MOCA's reading room

"He's always simultaneously done art with us," says Matthew.

"I went to the fine arts school of Michael and Matthew," Mark jokes, as we walk into the first room with pieces from MOCA's current Room to Live exhibit.

Matthew spies Cosima von Bonin's Untitled (Bikini Loop #1), a gigantic navy blue and white bikini hanging in a doorway, and immediately exclaims, "Oh no, they stole my bathing suit!"

After our chuckling dies down, I ask if they are still able to visit MOCA as often as they would like even though they're on sabbatical from school to tour and pursue their musical aspirations.

"We try to come often," Michael admits. "The last exhibit I came to was Art in the Streets, the graffiti exhibit, and I actually went and saw it four times."

"I check their website all the time to see what's on display. We're most interested in conceptual art, and that's the primary difference between the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and MOCA. There's much more conceptuality here," describes Matthew. "Part of the reason why we instantly thought of going here was it's inspirational to look at other people's work, and some of the best ideas are spurred from admiring others' ideas. It might spark something that's related or unrelated, that's different enough to be a separate entity in itself. In that sense, MOCA's a harbor of inspirational creativity."

We explore more of the Room to Live exhibit, including Samara Golden's video and sound installation The Fire Place, a white, yellow and orange light installation by Mark Handforth entitled Desert Sun and Rodney McMillian's huge Representation of a Landscape as a Wall piece, while Michael names some of his influences as an abstract painter. He mentions Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró and Jasper Johns, then adds Banksy's stenciling work as a more recent inspiration.

"What's interesting about contemporary art now is that people work in all mediums, and we're particularly interested in not being so pigeonholed by the notion of being a band. We also like to make paintings as a collective, as well as films or other media," Matthew remarks when I ask about particular field of interest. "In art school, I tried to do the same. When I was taking art film classes I would make the scores for the pieces, so they became more than film pieces. They had music and poetry, multiple mediums."

The ability to mix various media together is something that sprouts from the Cooks dabbling in several different forms of art since childhood. They all started with piano lessons and experimented with a drum set that was in their house, then Matthew begin playing the violin in fourth grade and played in the orchestra until his senior year of high school. He played stand-up bass in a jazz band, guitar in several other bands and sang in an a cappella group. Mark picked up alto sax, and Michael learned tenor sax before both switched to choir, a cappella groups and musical theater.

"It was musical chairs with instruments," Mark offers. "Michael and I were also into sports. Matt would come to a lot of our games, and the car rides over were always filled with music. Even though we were going to a sports game, we were singing in the car. We were always singing together. Our old choir teacher would do one-on-one lessons at our house, and when he would be teaching one of us during a lesson, another one would be singing from his bedroom. The teacher would always laugh during the lesson because we'd be singing the same song."

When I ask which artist they would mostly sing along to with in car, all three of them instantly respond with "Michael Jackson."

"He's a huge influence for us. There's a photo of all of us wearing his classic hat with our fingers taped up like his," Michael recalls with a laugh. "I also remember both of our parents being into the Beach Boys and the Beatles. We would sing along to their albums a lot on the way to baseball games."

With the Beach Boys and Beatles as some of their first examples, in addition to a cappella and musical theater training, it's no wonder that the Ceremonies' songs boast some amazing harmonies. As the boys began developing their own musical taste, they started listening to groups like Echo and the Bunnymen, the Cure, Joy Division and the Bee Gees. They also started branching out into other art forms.

In high school, I was into web design and graphic design. For me, it was always design, drawing, poetry and music. Ever since I was 12, writing poetry and lyrics was my cup of tea or my coffee, rather, because it's an addiction," Matthew confesses. "I grew up going to this place called Unknown Theater. I played some shows there in bands. There is also this thing called the Two Dollar Shows that one of my peers, Spencer Ludwig, started in high school, and it became a big communal thing. HAIM played there, and Spencer's now a member of Capital Cities. That was the music scene that I was a part of, I guess, if you could call it a scene."

Matthew played in several bands with other people but eventually formed the Ceremonies with Mark and Michael two years ago.

"I had a bunch of songs done that I didn't really have any plans with, and I showed them to Michael and Mark. What I was writing was so harmony driven and we were always singing together, but it sort of never occurred to us that we should be doing something together until we started doing acoustic gigs for fun, just covering songs, and people would come up to us and say, 'You guys should really start a band,'" Michael remembers. "I was always in the headspace of my being in my own bands, and [Mark and Michael] were sort of extras. I would be playing with my band, and the drummer wouldn't show up so Mark would fill in."

"I was the understudy," interjects Mark.

"Exactly, and eventually when that [other band[ fell through, it was pretty obvious we should form one together," finishes Matthew, as we come across Marnie Weber's Giggle of Clowns installation, a room filled with clown statues assembled around a prone body covered in flowers.

"Now, this is cool," Matthew comments. "I'm not afraid of clowns, but I'm sure a lot of people would be scared."

In fact, Mark and I do get a little freaked out when speakers hidden behind the figures let out a demented laugh. We compose ourselves and head into an installation from one of the Cooks' favorite artists, Ryan Trecartin. A room is filled with pieces of furniture to sit on, don a pair of headphones to listen to the soundtrack and view movies by Trecartin.

"We are big fans of Ryan Trecartin, so we're excited to see this," Matthew gushes. "He's almost like a psychedelic video artist. It's cool because he does mixed media, he built all of these prop pieces, and his video pieces are super disorienting. It's like being in your subconscious."

"His videos seem like they look like what Animal Collective's sound is," offers Mark. "It's exactly how you would imagine Animal Collective to sound like visually."

Film is a medium that the brothers, Matthew especially, have really started to explore since beginning art school. David Lynch and Richard Linklater are two filmmakers that he admires. His passion is evident as he describes Linklater's most recent film, Boyhood, in which the writer/director explores the course of one boy's life over a 12-year period. Matthew feels that Boyhood definitely relates to the childhood theme that is evident in many of the Ceremonies' songs. The idea of returning to the innocence of childhood is definitely a concept behind the band and was in their minds as they turned to the works of several artists that they admire when trying to come up with a name for their group.

"The Giver was one of them. Lois Lowry talks about the ceremonies that they have, and the Ceremonies of Three in particular were important to us. Obviously because of the number, but conceptually it was most aligned, coincidentally, with our purpose: capturing that childhood innocence and restoring it in people that have lost it," says Matthew. "In the book, the Ceremony of Three is when kids begin to start telling their dreams and start to calculate what has happened in their dreams.

The Ceremonies with Representation of a Landscape as a Wall

"We also wanted to pay homage to the Joy Division song 'Ceremony,'" adds Michael.

"And, all of our initials are 'M.C.,' which stands for Master of Ceremonies, so it fit well," says Mark.

"I was reading a lot of poetry and books by Ram Dass and Timothy Leary, 1960s psychedelic culture, that referenced the acts of ceremonies because they're so important in Native American culture and this communal bonding that people in Western society lack a lot of the time because we're all in our own pathways. That's essentially what we would like to cater to with our concerts, that feeling of ceremony," Matthew ponders. "You don't have to go to a wedding or technical ceremony to share that communal bond with people. It's more of a togetherness and sense of shared artistic integrity."

Inspiring creativity through a return to childhood innocence is an idea sprinkled throughout The Ceremonies EP, and is felt most strongly in its first single, "Land of Gathering," which is also featured in a Fab.com ad. The brothers were able to exercise several of their artistic abilities in the creation of the track's video, which garnered them attention as an MTV Artist to Watch.

"We did a lot of the editing ourselves," says Michael. "We drew and painted some of the animation, so we were really involved creatively."

Matthew adds, "We were so stoked to work with animator Phil Nibbelink because he worked on films for Disney like Who Framed Roger Rabbit?—"

"The Fox and the Hound and The Black Cauldron," Mark chimes in. "Everything that served as a beacon for our nostalgia."

While attending USC, the Cooks lived in Downtown and often passed by an L.A. landmark that also brought them back to their early adolescence, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, where they took part in various performing arts competitions and even had their graduation ceremonies growing up. Aside from MOCA, they would also visit REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/Cal Arts Theater) for various art exhibits.

Although they've moved back to the Valley, they have several favorite spots to hang out at throughout the city.

"You know where we've been shopping lately is AllSaints because we were one of their featured artists," says Matthew. "We really appreciate them because they support indie artists and a lot of new bands."

The trio often eats at Tender Greens, Mendocino Farms and Il Tramezzino.

"We really like Blue Dog. We love burgers, and they make really mean burgers. It's like a tavern and has pictures of people's dogs everywhere. We're dog lovers, so it's nice," Mark says, before informing me that they just got two Siberian Husky puppies. "We want to become vegetarians at some point, but it's hard on the road because nothing's open after a show."

"I don't get why there aren't more healthy places open late at night," adds Matthew. "Seriously, business would boom."

Aside from the lack of healthy food options on the road and their new puppies, the Ceremonies are going miss one important part of life in Los Angeles as they embark on a North American tour with Glasvegas, the weather.

"This is a bizarre place, seasonally," says Matthew. "The fact that it's an escape from normalcy; everywhere else there's seasons, and we just have warm or not as warm."

"It's almost like a drug, everybody's happy and sunny every day," Michael laughs.

We finish up our tour of the museum, and the brothers continue to laugh with one another when I ask if there are any interesting facts they would like to share about each member of the trio. Matthew and Mark easily admit to being huge anime fans, especially of films by Hayao Miyazaki. Matthew can also perform an unusual trick of bending his pinky in a perfect right angle, but when it comes to Michael they have a tough time coming up with something.

"I guess he's just not that interesting," Matthew jokes.

"I tried making my own clothes once. I made a leather vest," Michael offers. "And there was a period of a month where we all got into archery."

"Our dad set up an entire range in our backyard," Mark remembers with a smile. "He bought a big styrofoam block and put a target on it."

"What we're trying to say is that we tried to be Legolas from Lord of the Rings," Matthew laughs.

There is an undeniable chemistry between the three Ceremonies that just can't be attributed to their being brothers. It's born from the fact that they all genuinely love being around each other because they share so many of the same interests.

"Being related helps in small bits, like maybe our vibrato speeds – small technical things – but the fact that we get along well isn't because we're brothers, it's because we have a passion for the same things," Mark says.

"It's just a human connection. It's probably easier to get along because we grew up so similarly, have very similar senses of humor and taste in art, especially music," sums up Matthew. "It goes to prove that you're made of what you surround yourself with."

The Ceremonies EP is currently available. The Ceremonies perform March 4 at the Echo. For more information, visit theceremonies.com. 

Victory

Victory, aka Robert Fleming, at Grand Central Market

VICTORY

At Grand Central Market

317 S. Broadway, Los Angeles (Downtown)

"I grew up in a foodie family. My dad's a restaurant guy, and my mom currently makes wine in Napa. That's partly why I wanted to come here today, because I'm always eating tasty food and like to find new spots," confesses L.A. artist Robert Fleming, who creates music under the name Victory, as we meet in front of the city's oldest and largest public marketplace, Grand Central Market.

Occupying the ground floor of the Homer Laughlin Building since 1917, the Downtown landmark is an indoor bazaar that provides fresh produce, Mexican chiles, Chinese medicines and a plethora of food options to tourists and local shoppers alike. The ever-evolving list of stalls offer everything a well-cultivated palate such as Robert's could hope to experience all under one roof. Whether you're in the mood for lengua tacos from Tacos Tumbras a Tomas, a pork cutlet from Bento Ya or a popsicle from the Sweet Clementine's cart, there's something to satisfy all appetites.

Robert and I grab a table in front of one of Grand Central Market's recent additions, Horse Thief BBQ, to sit in the shade and talk about life in Los Angeles, his Victory Is Music debut full-length and, of course, food. He informs me that GCM's owners are bringing in more artisanal purveyors like Horse Thief to breathe new life to their vendor list. I order a refreshing Arnold Palmer from the Texas-style barbecue joint while Robert opts for his usual from one of his favorite stalls, G&B Coffee, the brainchild of Kyle Glanville and Charles Babinski, who met while working together at Intelligentsia.

Victory is coffee addiction - at G&B.

"My studio is Downtown, so I come here a lot, especially for coffee. I'm a coffee nut. G&B just opened [in June]. They were at Sqirl in Silver Lake, and then they started Go Get Em Tiger in Larchmont and this location. They have really good coffee," he says. "I get what's called a Gibraltar or cortado. It's a San Francisco concoction: espresso with steamed milk, less milk than a cappuccino and no foam. It's like a latte but with way less milk."

Although Robert grew up in Phoenix, Ariz., he spent some time in San Francisco where he cultivated an addiction to Gibraltars, as well as the habit of walking around the city, something he has continued to do over the past six years here in Los Angeles.

"I spend my free time eating and romping around town. Day drinking is very fun from time to time," he laughs. "Coming to places like Grand Central Market and exploring, finding out about new restaurants and places – that really is fun for me."

As a Silver Lake resident, some of his favorite neighborhood haunts are Covell, a wine bar in Los Feliz, Bar Stella at Sunset Junction and L&E Oyster Bar on Silver Lake Boulevard. He is also a fan of the Monday-night residencies at the Echo, the Satellite, Silverlake Lounge and Bootleg Bar."

When I notice a black tattoo on his right arm, Robert explains its design.

"It's the different parts of a palm tree, because I love palm trees. I didn't even know what that was [pointing at one of the parts drawn on his arm], then I looked at botanical prints, and now I'll see them around Los Angeles," he tells. "It was done at Incognito in Los Feliz."

Aside from the palm trees, Robert has come to love Los Angeles for all the reasons that most people come up with ("the weather, the good vibes"), but mainly, he likes his fellow Angelenos.

"The people seem so friendly, which sounds funny because you wouldn't imagine that, but people are really accepting. Everyone's so creative, doing cool things and pursuing what they love, which is so inspiring as opposed to growing up in a town where people fall into the trap of doing what they're supposed to do, what they should be doing, like getting a corporate job they don't enjoy. Here, you're around people who are pushing you to do what you like."

Music has always been Robert's passion. At age 11, he got his first guitar and occasionally took lessons or picked through songs using tabs in Guitar World magazine. Then he met his soul mate, a four-track cassette recorder.

"I got was a multitrack cassette recorder when I was in seventh or eighth grade, which, to me, was an instrument in itself because you could layer things. You can record one track – whether it's guitar, some hand claps or a little beat – then you can rewind and hear it while you play something else over it, and that's two tracks. Then, you do it again and again. You're making sounds out of nothing, as opposed to, I've never been a 'sit down and write a song on guitar guy' as much. It's always been with that studio tool, whether it was when I was a kid with a tape recorder or now in my studio with a computer."

Robert thought he would grow up to be a lead guitar player, not a singer or even a songwriter. But one album changed everything for him.

"When I first moved to San Francisco I heard a record by Spoon, Kill the Moonlight, and thought, 'This is an amazing record, but I feel like I could do that.' It made it more approachable because I wasn't listening to Hendrix or Led Zeppelin; there weren't a lot of guitar solos, he [Britt Daniel] doesn't sing using an incredibly huge range like Otis Redding or Al Green. Obviously I could never make that record because it's so fantastic, but it made it more within my reach," he recalls. "I've seen Spoon perform way too many times. I had to consciously stop listening to them just because people have said that they thought my voice or my music sounds like their stuff. I like it so much that I can't help but want to play like it, so I just can't listen to it anymore. "

After finishing our drinks, we start walking through the market. We pass stalls loaded with fruits and vegetables as we make our way to another of GCM's vendors that Robert frequently visits, Sticky Rice. He points out that the Thai street-food booth only uses free-range and organic ingredients to prepare its menu items, like the Gai Yang (barbecue chicken) and Khao Mon Gai (Thai Hainan Chicken), which he recommends as a must-try dish.

The list of must-try's gets even longer when we end up at one of his favorite vendors, Valerie at GCM. An offshoot of Valerie Confections, the GCM location serves all the scrumptious desserts and pastries the bakery has become known for in addition to sandwiches and salads. Robert often stops at the stall on the way to his studio for a breakfast sandwich with ham that he's dubbed 'The Allison' in honor of the server who usually prepares it for him.

Victory is sweet – at Valerie at GCM.

After his Kill the Moonlight epiphany, Robert began focusing on his songwriting. But the path to Victory wasn't a quick and easy one.

"I was very lazy and a procrastinator for the better part of my musical career. I had always been a studio musician and had a hard time finishing stuff. I was scatterbrained with a bunch of ideas, snippets of songs, but never finished anything. When I was approaching 27, the age when all my idols died – Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison (the 27 Club) – I was like, 'I haven't put anything out. I haven't finished anything. I'm useless.' I had to finish something and that was what became my Demonstrations EP," he says. "I called it Victory because I finally did it. I also wanted something really positive because music's so fun. It should be upbeat and happy – that's ideal for me."

So in 2011, he launched Victory with a seven-song EP, Demonstrations, that he created in his bedroom. He started to play at venues around town, building a following with his unique brand of rock 'n' roll that blends electronic bleeps and piercing guitars with the cheer of 1960s pop and Robert's own cheeky playfulness. He released a full-length in April, Victory Is Music, that he wrote and recorded from scratch in his bedroom and Downtown studio, with Joey Waronker (Beck, Elliott Smith, Lisa Germano) contributing drum tracks for six of the songs and Grammy-winning producer Chris Testa (Neko Case, Paul Simon, Jimmy Eat World) assuming mixer duties.

Whether you're listening to the infectious single "This, That or This," acoustic "Dirty Jeans" or buzzing "Play It" (which appears in a Cadillac XTS commercial), Victory Is Music is guaranteed to become your new addiction with just one listen. The songs either include hand claps or induce them, encourage dancing alone in your bedroom or with someone who catches your eye in the bar, and mainly just make you smile.

"Music should be fun. People get into it for different reasons, but music, to me, has always been so fun. I hate it when people are so pretentious about it," he says. "That's not to say that I don't take my craft seriously, but overall, everything – life, people – is so funny. We should all just be laughing and dancing."

Victory Is Music is currently available. Victory performs Sept. 21 at the Chinatown Moon Festival, Sept. 29 at Abbot Kinney Festival and Oct. 5 at the Mint. For more information, visit victoryismusic.com.

L.A. LANDMARKS - City Hall

 

LOS ANGELES CITY HALL

200 N. Spring St., Los Angeles (Downtown)

Often when a film is set in Los Angeles, one of the first shots to establish location includes City Hall.  From L.A. Confidential and Dragnet to television shows ("Perry Mason," "Alias"), video games ("L.A. Noire," "SWAT 3") and even on the face of the LAPD badge, its recognizable tower – modeled after the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – looms over Downtown. Designed by John Parkinson, John C. Austin and Albert C. Martin, Sr. and completed in 1928, the building boasts 32 floors and at 454-feet high is the tallest base-isolated (for earthquake protection) structure in the world.

Besides providing a home base for the mayor's office, City Hall also houses the City Council Chamber and offices for its members. The building's interior features Byzantine details, ornate ceiling and floor tiling, marble columns and California Redwood beams. The East Lobby contains gifts from other countries such as statues of Benito and Margarita Juarez from Mexico, a clock from L.A. sister city Nagoya, Japan and a Turtle Ship replica from Korea. Besides marveling at the structure's architecture and decor, the public can venture up to the 27th floor Observation Deck Monday through Friday from  9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for one of the best views of the city.

L.A. HAVENS - Grand Park

Grand Park: "the park for everyone"

 

GRAND PARK

Entrance points at 200 N. Grand Ave., 221 N. Hill St, 221 N. Broadway and 227 N. Spring St., Los Angeles (Downtown)

The last time I visited my sister in San Francisco, we passed a lush, tree-filled park where they hold a free outdoor concert series every summer. Although we have a few free summer programs throughout the city at places like the Santa Monica Pier, Levitt Pavilion in MacArthur Park and Pasadena's Memorial Park, no such venue existed in Downtown proper besides Pershing Square. While the free concerts at Pershing Square are fun, the park is far from a verdant urban oasis. I would have to say that the only place in Downtown that is remotely comparable to San Francisco's Stern Grove is Grand Park.

The park officially unveiled the first phase of its planned 12-acre invigoration in July of 2012 and has hosted several community and concert events since then. The patch of grassy areas nestled between City Hall and the Music Center, bordered by First Street and Temple Street, is a welcome respite from the cement, asphalt and skyscrapers that dominate the area's landscape. There's an intimate performance lawn as well as a grand event lawn, offering plenty of space to spread out a blanket and enjoy a picnic. A community terrace houses several varieties of drought-tolerant plants, and hot pink chairs and tables brighten up the environment.

Grand Park hosts a Farmers' Market every Tuesday

The most eye-catching feature of Grand Park, though, is the restored Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain. During sweltering days, children splash in the wading pool in front of the fountain. At night, multicolored lights transform it into a magical location, perfect for a post-performance stroll back to your car from the Music Center.

As with most of Downtown, parking can be a pain, so you're best bet is to take the bus or the Metro Red/Purple Line to Civic Center station. Dogs are welcome throughout the park, as long as they're on leash, and there is a small gated dog park near the Spring Street entrance so they can run free for a bit, too.

Besides special music and festival events – such as free concerts every fourth Sunday of the month, a Dia de Los Muertos celebration and Fourth of July Block Party – the park offers a wide array of community programming. Every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, Grand Park holds a Farmers' Market, and there are free lunchtime concerts at noon every other Tuesday. During the month of May, there are free yoga sessions from 12:15 p.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, while Tuesdays boast a Boot Camp in June. See their Event Calendar for the complete schedule, and check out Downtown's newest outdoor haven sometime soon.

STREET SIGNS - Drunken Angel

Drunken Angel by ICY and SOT, brothers who are stencil artists from Iran, sits at the 3rd Street and Traction Avenue corner of the triangle of land known as Joel Bloom Square in the Downtown Arts District. The duo often use images of children in their works, which deal with peace, war, love, hate, hope, despair, human rights and Iranian culture. They put up this piece when they were here in March for their East Middle West Tour exhibition at the Vortex.

STREET SIGNS - Peace Goddess

There is a wealth of street art to be found in Downtown's Arts District, as exemplified by the Peace Goddess mural by the renowned Shepard Fairey. The 24-foot-tall piece has presided over the building, which houses lofts and businesses like the Poketo Flagship Store at 820 E. 3rd Street, since November 2009, when it was installed as part of the LA Freewalls project.

UglyRhino Productions

UglyRhino's Nicole Rosner and Bryce Norbitz at the Red Loft

BRYCE NORBITZ and NICOLE ROSNER of UGLYRHINO PRODUCTIONS

At The Red Loft

605 E. 4th St., Los Angeles (Downtown)

When New York-based theater company UglyRhino Productions began searching for a venue for the debut of their premiere full-length production in Los Angeles, they had no idea that the ideal space for the party play would be found in the very heart of Downtown.

"We have a friend who was scoping out places for us while we were still back in New York. She looked at some of the more traditional theaters and a few gigantic warehouses in the middle of nowhere and was unimpressed," begins UglyRhino Executive Producer Bryce Norbitz. "Then, she walked into the Red Loft. It was the last place she looked at, and she said, 'Well, the street's covered in trash and I tripped over a bum on the way in, but I think it's the one.' We were like, 'What?!' She sent us the pictures, and we saw that it was perfect."

You really can't ever judge a book from its cover. Downtown can be a harsh, dark and depressing place, but at the same time, there is so much beauty in the eclectic mix of people and businesses that inhabit the neighborhood's buildings abundant in history and architectural design. The Red Loft – an open loft space with vibrant vermilion walls that houses music and art events – and its owner, photographer Steve "Paynie" Payne, are clear-cut examples of the rich artistic spirit that can be found in the area.

"We love Downtown. A lot of people told us to check out the Downtown arts scene since it's really happening, so when we found this space we were like, 'Cool,'" shares Nicole Rosner, UglyRhino Co-Artistic Director. "Even though it's a little off the beaten path, we feel like you can just feel it when you're Downtown."

"It's such a nice surprise to drive up and wonder where to park, where the door is and then walk inside and it looks like this," adds Bryce. "It looks cool, and there are drinks, music and people. It's worth the surprise factor."

The inspiration for Bath Bubble Punch

Just like the Red Loft, what you find in UglyRhino's "Mindspin" is so much more than you might expect at first glance. The interactive play, written by Bryce and Nicole, provides so much more than your average night at the theater. As soon as you walk up the stairs into the Red Loft, you're led to the far corner of the room where fortune cookies dangle in the air, suspended by a clothespin on a string. An aspiring clairvoyant interprets your future, and then you're free to mingle with other audience members, play an array of games and examine the custom art pieces by Harley Pretchel-Cortez, Payne and other artists who have done gallery shows at the Red Loft hung along the walls. There's even a canvas for you to contribute your own artful messages and drawings.

"The whole space, everything you see along all the walls, is an installation. The actors, who are also party guests or hosts, take the audience around and show them different things, whether it be the fortune cookies, the games area, the tub installation. We have a dress-up box that invites people to put on a tie for the night and make them feel extra fancy as they enjoy the cocktails," describes Nicole. "It just feels like a really open and warm party where people are engaging with one another. Then, when we've got them having a nice time—"

"We've got the music going so people kind of mingle around looking at the art, dancing, doing the puzzle wall. At one point our DJ [Laurette Goldfish] gets on the mic and says, 'Everyone, welcome to the party. C'mon and head to the dance floor.' Everyone makes their way over, and we do a special dance with everybody," interjects Bryce. "Then the show goes from there. The lights pull up in one corner for our first scene, music muffles out and transfers behind you, and you realize you're stepping into a private moment between the two girls that host the party. The scenes travel throughout the space from there: We do one behind the bar, in the corner at the piano they do a performance, one at the tub and the last one is in the tent. It's very clear where to go based on actor movement, light and sound."

The story revolves around two friends, Tahnee and Auren, and the ladies' circle of artist friends, which is thrown off balance when a new man enters their lives and sends them into a "mindspin" of self-doubt about their identities and desires. I ask the pair of female playwrights if any of "Mindspin"'s scenes are pulled from their own experiences as friends and professional collaborators.

Nicole immediately replies: "Ninety-eight percent."

They both laugh, and Bryce adds, "The two actresses who play the girls have a friendship as well, so the four of us did a lot of work together. There is some dialogue that's pulled from diary entries of ours and the actresses. A lot of lines are true to someone's life."

Nicole with bowls of "Mindspin" symbols

Since "Mindspin" is site specific to the Red Loft, the space itself lent a lot to the script and staging, too.

"We rehearsed for five weeks, but our rehearsal process had a lot of improvisation where we would be writing the scenes as we went. We had at least once a week, an all-day rehearsal in the space, so that really helped," shares Nicole. "That's what we do in New York as well: Even if we have the storyline already, we want to make it fit the space so it really feels like it was meant to be there."

Nicole grew up in Florida, but her parents were from New York City and often took her to see Broadway plays. She studied drama, voice, piano and dance as a child and eventually embarked on a career of directing, programming and producing for companies like the Royal Court Theatre, Arcola Theatre and Assembly Rooms at Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Bryce – who has worked with Chicago Shakespeare, the Second City and Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment – spent her childhood in Long Island, and theater has always been a big part of life for her as well.

"Growing up outside of New York, it's just in the culture, so it was something that I always did. I thought I wanted to be an actor until I turned 18. Then, it was just a matter of finding where I fit in and what kind of role I could have in theater," she recalls. "I thought it had to be something really specific, and it doesn't. That's something that we've developed as a company, all having a hand artistically, administratively, as well as production and design wise. It's kind of a collective in that sense actually."

"It feels like there are a lot of rules when you live in New York. At this age, you start a theater company, or as a director, you assist major directors on Broadway for years and years," tells Nicole. "Having the company means we can do anything we want. It's still difficult at times, but it means we can say, 'Let's do a weird, site-specific show in L.A. this month' and do it."

The duo formed the company with UglyRhino's other Co-Artistic Director, Danny Sharron, after they all met at the Public Theater in New York.

"Danny and I wanted to put up a festival of shows. We had never self-produced in New York, but we were like, 'Let's put a bunch of things up, with bands and parties!' That's really all we knew," Nicole confesses with a laugh. "Someone at the Public asked, 'Have you talked to Bryce? She's a producer, and I think you guys would connect.' We met with her, and the first time we sat down the three of us just went together really well and we had sorted the whole schedule for the festival, all the areas where we wanted to look for a venue and just kept producing together."

They launched the first micro-season in November of 2010 with numerous bands, DJs and specialty acts surrounding the mainstage plays, and two of the the season's titles formed the name for the company.

The "dress-up" area

"We were doing Eugene Ionesco's 'Rhinoceros' and a play called 'The Ugly One,' so the working title for the festival was UglyRhino. We ended up doing Harold Pinter's 'Celebration' instead of 'The Ugly One,' but we had said the name UglyRhino so many times and everybody knew it, so it just stuck," Bryce remembers. "After our first season, we decided that we were only going to do new work from then on, so we started asking for submissions. After we picked our two plays, we realized that we had read 200 others, and a lot of them were great. We wanted people to see their work, so we thought of doing a short play thing, but no one really wants to go see a super dry, 10-minute play night. Plus we wanted to include the social factor of UglyRhino. We were drinking some beers, wondering how do we do this [mimes drinking a beer] and watch a play at the same time, and TinyRhino spiraled from there."

TinyRhino is a monthly event that mixes a drinking game with a short-play festival.

"It's become this really cool network for our generation of theater-makers that a lot of spinoff companies and collaborations have came from," says Nicole. "It was something we didn't even know we were missing in New York, but it feels really great to have that network of people supporting each other, which L.A. could use as well."

So, the company decided to bring TinyRhino to Los Angeles last month.

"We were at the Lyric-Hyperion when we did it out here, and we ended up on the patio until 2 a.m.," comments Bryce. "The shows sold out super fast."

Nicole adds, "People want a night out in L.A."

UglyRhino continues to provide Angelenos with a thoroughly unique and entertaining night out with "Mindspin." Your $20 ticket includes the interactive experience and two cocktails that were specially concocted for the show. Bryce stands behind the Red Loft's vintage wood bar and tells me about Bath Bubble Punch (champagne, whisky and fruit), as she ladles me a taste of Afternoon Tea, spiked sweet tea with a twist of orange, from a glass punch bowl. It's the perfect thirst quencher on this hot L.A. afternoon.

"We call this our Afternoon Tea because we tell a little story in the play about being on a porch in the sunshine of the afternoon listening to some friends play music," she offers.

Since "Mindspin'"s main characters are musicians, music is a key element of the production.

"Most of the music in the show is what we and the sound designer [Jesse Flower-Ambroch] had been listening to for a few months," admits Nicole.

Bryce and Nicole in the "tent" area

"We do a cover of Dirty Projectors in the show, and I would say they are a big favorite of ours. Frank Ocean is also featured," states Bryce. "['Breezeblocks' by] Alt-J is the theme song; we play it more than once in the show."

Although music, strong cocktails and fun party games are usually enough to loosen most crowd's inhibitions, this is Los Angeles, after all, and I wonder how audiences here vary from UglyRhino's typical patrons back home.

"There's a lot of trepidation; they're like what do you do in a show like this? In New York, if a scene started somewhere, people would be rushing and running, wanting to see," explains Nicole.

"It's a microcosm, the perfect example of the exact difference between New York and L.A. people. Someone has to get from here to here, and the L.A. audience strolls, takes their time, stops and has a sit, checks in with the bar, smells the roses. The New York audience is like, 'Where is she going? What is she doing? I have to get to the front of the line!' Really, it's insane how clear it is," giggles Bryce.

Since they've had a few months to get used to the rest of what makes our city tick and explore their respective temporary digs in Echo Park (Bryce) and Franklin Village (Nicole), the New Yorkers have found several things they love here.

"There's a lot around here in Downtown, great stuff over on 3rd Street like the bratwurst place Wurstküche. We've been there a lot," begins Bryce. "The area looks just like Brooklyn with all the street art and everything's real close together. You see a big wooden door and imagine what's behind it. You open it, and there's a massive bratwurst restaurant – that, for example, feels like home to us. It's just like Bushwick."

"There's nature," exclaims Nicole. "There's nature in New York but not in the winter as far as I'm concerned. We walk the Griffith Park trails and the Bat Caves."

"We were at Runyon Canyon today. It's amazing that there are mountains, beaches, hiking trails and parks that are so close and easy to get to and enjoy yourself in," adds Bryce. "We didn't rush as much here as we would in New York. We took our time finding the right people for the project, the right materials to get the set. … Everything in L.A. is kind of unexpected, too."

"We went to a pool in Eagle Rock the other day. It was just 10 minutes from Echo Park," says Nicole.

 "Our French DJ said, 'We go to dee pool and get dee tacos at dee Indian restaurant.' We said, 'What? Are you sure that you're getting that right?' But she was right, and it was good!"

All in all, UglyRhino's experiences with their inaugural L.A. TinyRhino and "Mindspin" have been so positive, that they definitely have plans to return.

"We're going to have TinyRhino here in Los Angeles regularly. A lot of people want to get involved, and we're really excited," shares Bryce. "In New York, we have a show opening on April 25, 'What It Means to Disappear Here,' which is a drama and is also site-specific. We found a place called Port Royal which is under a very popular coffee shop in Park Slope called Tea Lounge. It's a secret bar that hasn't been open in 25 years. It was a speakeasy in the early '80s, and it's very complicated to find. You have to go down an alley, through this gate and a bike shop, down the stairs. Then, when you get in, the environment looks like a bar/café in Colombia. It's going to be a lot of fun."

Catch the final two performances of "Mindspin" at 9 p.m. on April 5 and 6 at The Red Loft. For tickets and more information, visit uglyrhinonyc.com.

Arrica Rose

Arrica Rose at the Bradbury Building

ARRICA ROSE

At the Bradbury Building [304 S. Broadway, Los Angeles (Downtown)],

Angels Flight [351 S. Hill St, Los Angeles (Downtown)] and

Angels Knoll [356 S. Olive St., Los Angeles (Downtown)]

Singer-songwriter, musician and frontwoman of Arrica Rose & the …'s (the Dot Dot Dots), Arrica Rose, selected one of the most interesting pockets of Downtown as her favorite spot in Los Angeles. She chose the famed Bradbury Building as our starting point, followed by a walk to Angels Flight and its adjacent park, Angels Knoll.

The Bradbury may seem like an average brick building on the outside with a corporate retail shop and chain restaurant on its first level, but once you step inside, the beauty of this architectural landmark instantly takes your breath away. Brilliant natural light flows through the enormous glass skylight of its center court, allowing you to notice every detail put into the intricately carved polished wood, cast-iron railings with ornate filigree, rich marble staircase and patterned, tiled floors. It's no wonder the Bradbury has often been used as a filming location for movies like Chinatown, Blade Runner and The Artist, as well as numerous TV shows, music videos, commercials and is even referenced in novels and comic books.

As I approach Arrica in the Bradbury's center court, she is talking with a small group of friends that includes Dan Garcia, the producer she has teamed with for most of her releases, including her latest EP, Lucky. Although Arrica is a native Angeleno, she was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, so over the years the time she has spent recording at Garcia's Radio Hill studio near the Bradbury was when she really cultivated a love for the neighborhood.

"The time that I came to really appreciate Downtown was being down here making music. I had been in Downtown when I was small, going to functions and the theater with my parents, and Downtown was really desolate. There was almost nothing going on, except at specific destination spots. Then I was working down here and seeing how the whole area was being revitalized. I found it really fascinating, the whole history of Downtown. That's when I became a little bit obsessed with the area and its culture," she recalls. "Downtown is constantly changing, so as familiar as I am with it, there are always new things to discover. Every time I'm here, there's a new place to explore. That is what's exciting about Los Angeles: Around every corner, there's something you potentially don't know about, even if you've lived here your whole life. As familiar as you are with it, it has that sense of the unknown."

We admire the stunning details of the Bradbury, from the exquisite wrought-iron elevator doors down to the old mail slots and post box, then venture outside for a short walk up 3rd Street to the Angels Flight entrance on Hill Street. On the way, Arrica shares what she knows of the history of the small railway: how it was moved from one location to another, how it closed after a fatal accident and eventually reopened a couple of years ago. It's known as the "Shortest Railway in the World" since it only traverses 298 feet of track. In fact, we forgo actually riding on it for a walk up a long set of stairs leading to Angels Knoll.

As we walk up the steps, Arrica tells me how she was almost a New Yorker. Her father, an actor and native New Yorker, and mother, an educator and writer in her spare time, barely decided to move to California until right before she was born. Currently she splits her time between living in West Los Angeles and the Bay Area.

"Having lived here my whole life, I only had perspective on L.A. and its surrounding areas. Being up in the Bay Area now too, it's nice to go back and forth and maybe appreciate it more here than I ever did," she admits. "L.A. has been home to me for so long that I feel like I know the city inside and out. If anyone asks me where to go, what to do or what to eat, I always have this wealth of suggestions. I think that's what I miss and get homesick for, just that sort of kinship you feel you have with the city."

Once we make our way to the top of the stairs, we discover that white cotton from the trees above is strewn all over the grass at Angels Knoll. It's almost as if we're surrounded by little patches of melting snow, even though it's about 75 degrees out. We take a seat on a park bench, just like the characters in (500) Days of Summer, and I ask Arrica about her other L.A. haunts as we admire the view of skyscrapers, Grand Central Market and people milling about the streets below.

"I lived in Downtown and West Hollywood, and I still gravitate towards going to places in these places instead of in West L.A. A lot of the time I spend in L.A., I'm playing music at shows and recording," she says. "I'll be recording, and we'll go to the Redwood, which is around the corner and very convenient. I love going to Blossom, that's a great one. The pho is great. I also like going to Little Tokyo for sushi."

When I tell her I like the polka-dot dress she is wearing, Arrica confesses her fashion-related addiction.

"I tend to shop at thrift stores. That became an obsession of mine when I was pretty young and started collecting vintage dresses. I've always had a fascination with things that were older. Just that sense of history in the items," she admits. "There's a wealth of little stores that I go to. Sometimes the local Goodwill is fun and Jet Rag, too. I have stuff that's not vintage, but I always end up gravitating towards the vintage because I feel like it encompasses a sense of lost time, of everything that came before you."

Angels Flight

This sense of blending influences from past eras with a bit of the modern into her music for an almost timeless sound is something that Arrica strives for.

"In a way, that's what I hope to do, to take all of the things that came before me and put some spin on it that may be my own so I'm not just recreating what came before, I'm contributing my own take on it a little bit," she tells.

From a young age, Arrica was surrounded by music, from Big Band records to the Beach Boys and the Beatles. Ol' Blue Eyes was definitely a big inspiration to her as well.

"When I was little, if there was a room full of people, I would ask everyone if I could sing them a song. I think I was about 4 at the time. I would put on Frank Sinatra's 'New York, New York' and sing along," she remembers. "My parents saw this and knew that music was going to be an important part of my life, whether it was a hobby or something I pursued professionally. They were very encouraging and took me down that path of, 'I think you should learn an instrument, too.' I am so glad they did because, as I love to sing, one of the things I probably enjoy the most is the songwriting process."

Arrica began taking voice and piano lessons while still in grade school, and she eventually started the guitar at age 15. Around this time, her parents would drive her to see some of her first rock shows.

"One of the first shows I went to see that they just dropped me off for was the Violent Femmes at Universal Amphitheater. That was a lot of fun. I also used to go to a lot of shows at Jabberjaw in the Crenshaw District. I remember the first time my parents picked me up there, they had this look on their faces, they were not pleased with the location. I managed to convince them that I was perfectly safe there, even though there were always shootings like a block or two away. But it was such a fun venue, and I saw a lot of great bands come through there. "

Little did her parents realize, but one of their evening rituals during her bedtime would eventually lead to Arrica being in her first punk band.

"I wouldn't go to sleep without listening to music when I was really small, and my parents would always put on 'Lovesongs on the KOST,'" she laughs. " I'm sure that some of what I do is influenced by going to bed to 'Lovesongs on the KOST' every night. I have a place in my heart for it. That's probably also why I got into punk rock as a teenager, it was my rebellion against the 'Lovesongs on the KOST.'"

She formed an all-girl punk trio called Uxby with Stefanie (Big Harp) and Kerri Drootin. The group played venues like Cobalt Cafe and the Smell, and Arrica shares a great story from one of those early shows.

Arrica Rose at Angels Knoll

"One of the stories that sticks out in my mind the most was playing at Silverlake Lounge when I was still underage. I thought it was so cool and was so excited to play a show there and hang out," she begins. "We played our set, got off the stage and were all amped up to watch the other bands. And then, they promptly escorted us out. 'Thank you for your set, and good-bye." Door closed. Understandably it was not their fault, but we were delusional enough to think that they would let us hang out in the bar after we played. It was fun nevertheless."

Arrica eventually went on to attend USC, where she took a little hiatus from music to concentrate on film school. While she was doing the sound design for a thesis project, however, she began to realize that maybe music really was her destined path.

"I was watching the short and realized that I had a really clear vision in my head of what the music needed to sound like. I remember convincing the director that I should do music for the short, as well. I would up recording the music on a four-track at my house," she recalls. "We were going to watch it in a big theater, and I was so nervous because I didn't know what it was going to sound like, having recorded it in my living room. It turned out well, the director was really happy with it and that was the moment that I said to myself, 'I think this music thing is what I really enjoy the most.'

She began releasing her lo-fi home recordings through her own label, pOprOck records,  put together the …'s – that were eventually comprised of herself on vocals, guitar, keys, mandolin and omnichord; Marc Thomas on lead guitar, Steve Giles on bass, Ryan Brown on drums, percussion; Laura Martin on backing vocals; and Kaitlin Wolfberg on violin – and released their full-length debut, People Like Us, in 2006.

Arrica teamed up with Garcia for the first time on 2008's La La Lost (with songs being placed in TV shows like "Nikita") and again for a solo EP, Pretend I'm Fur. Garcia was also at the helm for the band's 2011 release, the critically lauded Let Alone Sea.

"We have a great working relationship, in that, I feel like we understand each other really well," Arrica says of Garcia. "He contributes so much to my sound and is also good at distilling what I want from that sound, too. It's one of those things where we just speak the same language, and I think that's important when you're working with a producer – that you really understand one another."

Their professional rapport is so strong that Garcia also co-wrote a few songs on the Lucky EP with her. Arrica has been composing songs since she was 11, but has never really set up a system for her methods.

"I find that if I force myself to try and come up with a system of 'Oh, I'll write every day' or 'I'll just write in the evenings,' that pressure stifles my creativity a little bit. But I do notice that I tend to write songs in threes," she says. "The only pattern I do see in writing music is, if I finish one song usually there are two songs that I will write within a week. I have no idea why, and I try not to think too hard about it because thinking too hard about it sometimes destroys the process for me."

Dwelling too long on specific things instead of relishing the entirety of life is something that Arrica tries not to do, and Lucky's moniker points to that notion.

"The title comes from the song 'Microscope' that has the line: 'Put away the microscope, let's live in a big picture that paints us lucky.' That song for me was very much about not focusing on what's wrong and focusing on what's right. When you focus on what's right, I feel that you're a happier person for it. Not to say that you turn a blind eye to everything that's wrong, but just to be appreciative of what you do have instead of always thinking about what you don't. That's why I chose that title," she informs. "I can be one of those people that can get into sort of a dark space or I can be a positive, optimistic person. I don't want to shut out that dark side of me because I think that it is a place where some of my creativity comes from, but I also just want to remember to be positive and to enjoy life and remember that I am lucky."

Besides her music, Arrica occupies her time as the head of I HEART Inc., a non-profit that allows artists to raise money for charity organizations – such as the Silverlake Conservatory of Music and Sojourn Services for Battered Women and their Children – through unique creative projects and events.

"I HEART started in 2008. I was on tour with two friends, Abby Kincaid and Laura Martin, in Albuquerque, and there was this woman there who had done a pin-up calendar benefit. We met her, she showed us these pictures and we asked her if we could recreated something like it in L.A.," she recalls. "Everyone got a little busy with other projects, and I took over from there and decided to really make it about not specifically doing the pin-up girl calendar but just about doing creative projects in general that could bring artists together that allow them to give back to their communities and also allow them to meet other artists who have this desire to inspire change and expose them to new fans. It's a way for you to do something good and get something good back in return."

I HEART has worked with sponsors and supporters that include Willie Nelson, Crosby Stills and Nash, Jack White, Jackson Browne, Sub Pop Records and Hotel Café, among others. They also sponsored Omaha Girls Rock camp for two summers, a project that Arrica's former bandmate, Stefanie Drootin, had brought into the fold.

"Working with little girls, teaching them how to rock out and express themselves through music is rewarding," Arrica says. "It was an amazing group of women that put this together, and I was really inspired by not only the little girls that were learning but all the women who were involved in the project."

According to Arrica, passion for whatever you're doing in life is crucial. Especially for artists trying to make a living through their music.

"You have to really love it. The music industry is in a weird space in a lot of ways, so it's really important to love what you do and do it for that reason. The rest will fall into place or it won't, but if you're doing it because you love to do it then you can't really go wrong."

Lucky is currently available. Arrica Rose & the …'s perform April 13 at Hotel Café. For more information, visit arricarose.com.

Ice Skating in L.A.

L.A. Kings Holiday Ice skating rink in Nokia Plaza at L.A. Live

 

HOLIDAY SKATING RINKS

My favorite rom-com is Serendipity, and one of its most memorable scenes is when John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale go skating at Wollman Rink in Central Park. Seriously, what could be more romantic? Grab your significant other or a bunch of friends, and get into the holiday spirit by going for a glide at one of these L.A.-area outdoor skating rinks.

Beverly Hills Holiday Ice Rink
Now-Jan. 6, 2013 @ Crescent Drive, between North and South Santa Monica Boulevards (Beverly Hills); $15 for admission and skate rental
This is the first time the Golden Triangle is hosting a public rink, and it will be located directly in front of City Hall.

Chill Ice Rink
Now-Jan. 2, 2013 @ The W Hotel (Westwood); $10 for one hour of skating and skate rental
If you're seeking more of a club environment, the W has transformed their pool area to a hybrid-ice rink, complete with private cabanas, specialty cocktails and food. Plus, snow falls every hour.

Downtown on Ice
Now-Jan. 21, 2013 @ Pershing Square - 532 S. Olive Ave. (Downtown); $8 for a one-hour skate session and skate rental
Besides skating, there is also a concert series, exhibitions, broomball games and a holiday festival.

Holiday Ice Rink
Now-Jan. 6, 2013 @ 9300 Culver Blvd. (Culver City); $14 for admission and skate rental
Work up an appetite at this rink located in downtown Culver City, next to the Culver Hotel. Then walk across Washington Boulevard to go eat at one of the best Japanese restaurants in Los Angeles, K-Zo.

ICE at Santa Monica
Now-Jan. 21, 2013 @ 1324 5th St. (Santa Monica); $12 for admission and skate rental
This is one of the only places in Los Angeles where you can spend a day at the beach then go ice skating – all within walking distance. There's even a broomball league that plays games here every Thursday night.

L.A. Kings Holiday Ice
Now-Jan. 2, 2013 @ Nokia Plaza, L.A. Live (Downtown); $13 for admission and skate rental
You can also purchase a Supper & Skate package for $30, which includes admission, skate rental and a prix fixe dinner from ESPN Zone, LA Market or Trader Vic's.
 
The Queen Mary Presents CHILL
Now-Jan. 6, 2013 @ 1126 Queens Highway (Long Beach); $12.90 for admission and skate rental
After skating, you can go ice tubing, visit The Ice Kingdom exhibit and a Holiday Village.

The Rink
Now-Jan. 3, 2013 @ Hyatt Regency Century Plaza (Century City); $10 for a one-hour skate session
Annenberg Space for Photography is a sponsor of this rink, which features eco-friendly synthetic hybrid ice.

Woodland Hills Ice
Now-Jan. 27, 2013 @ Westfield Promenade (Woodland Hills); $15 for one session and skate rental
Now in its fourth season, this rink offers lessons, as well as special theme nights and giveaways through New Year's Eve.

REMEMBER WHEN - Beck

Beck (Cassidy Turbin)

Beck

Oct. 7, 2006 @ Detour Festival (Downtown)

This was L.A. Weekly's first attempt at an annual outdoor festival in Downtown, which only happened two more times before they stopped and turned it into an indoor show called L.A. 101. This premiere Detour was awesome, though. The area surrounding City Hall was blocked off, as three stages, food and vendor booths were set up and festivities lasted from noon to midnight. And, oh, what a lineup: Basement Jaxx, Queens of the Stone Age, Mike Patton's Peeping Tom (introduced by Danny DeVito), of Montreal, Blonde Redhead and !!! among others.

But the main reason I was there was to see Beck. He had just released his 10th album, The Information, and I hadn't seen him perform in years, so I was pretty excited. The first strains of "Loser" erupted from the speakers, but no musicians were on the stage. Instead, there was a huge backdrop showing footage of puppets that looked exactly like Beck and his band performing the song. It was priceless. The real-life band appeared about halfway through the song to actually finish it up.

The rest of the set was a good mix of old and new – from "Devil's Haircut" to "E-Pro" and "Nausea." One of my favorite moments was the reconfigured-to-be-more-'80s "Where It's At." It was just the perfect mix of a magical environment (I remember looking at the moon during the song and thinking how beautiful it was.), crowd energy and the right song for an "aah moment." Then, a dinner table – complete with wine glasses, plates and silverware – was placed on stage. The band sat down and used the dishes to play percussion in between Beck strumming his acoustic and singing "The Golden Age" and a bit of "One Foot in the Grave."

Winding the set to a close, the group left the stage and a video came on of the puppet version of Beck going through the festival earlier in the day, joking and interviewing the crowd. It was a hilarious end to a fun and unique set from one of Los Angeles' most innovative musicians.